Connector terminals are formed in plural in the form of comb teeth arranged at a given interval on a continuous band-like member. The target portions to be plated in these connector terminals are the sides of the protruding portions extending opposingly across a given interval.
Various techniques have conventionally been employed for plating these target portions. For instance, there have been known as typical plating devices such as the plating device which dips whole end portions including the projections in the plating solution contained in a bath to plate the specified portions by controlling the liquid level of the plating solution, or the injection plating device which shields the portions not to be plated with a mask and plates unmasked portions by jetting the plating solution on them (re. Japanese Patent Application laid-open Nos. Sho 59-126784, Sho 57-161084 and Sho 55-83180).
However, all of the prior art plating devices have drawbacks: in the case of the former device, the entire end portions of a connector terminal are plated resulting in thicker plated areas on peripheral portions than the target portions, and it becomes difficult to clearly define the plating area, thereby consuming unnecessary amount of plating metal. This presents a formidable problem when the plating metal is precious metal.
In the latter injection type device, it is difficult not only to provide the masking but to maintain the same during plating when the target area is very minute or complicated in contour, again resulting in an unnecessary consumption of the plating metal.
Development of a partial plating device has thus been awaited which enables desired plating with less consumption of the plating metal.